Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal Says Ready To Face Summons Virtually, ED Responds

NEW DELHI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on March 4, finally responded to the eighth summons made by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the money laundering probe concerning irregularities in the Delhi excise policy case.

Kejriwal, who has skipped all the ED summons till now, has agreed to answer all the questions posed by the investigative agency and has proposed a date after March 12.

Ironically, the Delhi Chief Minister had earlier deemed the summons as "illegal", accusing it of being politically motivated and an attempt to malign his image.

The Aam Aadmi Party said that their party chief will attend the hearing via video conferencing.

However, this did not go down well with the ED, who is adamant about physically interrogating the Delhi Chief Minister.

The ED has said that no provisions exists under the law wherein the interrogation can be conducted via video conferencing.

This move comes in the wake of the ED issuing its eighth summon on February 27, setting March 4 as the scheduled date for Mr Kejriwal to appear at the agency's headquarters.

The ongoing probe centers around alleged irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the Delhi Excise Policy (2021-22).

The ED seeks Kejriwal's clarification on matters such as policy formulation and allegations of bribery.

The Delhi Chief Minister has previously skipped seven summonses issued by the ED, labeling them as "illegal and politically motivated.

Meanwhile, the AAP, in a statement, urged the ED to refrain from sending further summonses and await the court's decision.

Notably, the Delhi Excise Policy, introduced to revamp the national capital's liquor business, promised a more modern shopping experience with discounts and offers. 

However, it did not materialize and instead, the policy got cancelled after Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena's order to investigate alleged irregularities.

The AAP accuses Mr Saxena's predecessor, Anil Baijal, of making last-minute changes that adversely affected the policy's revenue expectations.

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